The present invention relates to a two-mass flywheel, and in particular a two-mass flywheel having a primary mass that is coupled to a secondary mass in a series connection by a torsional vibration damping device and a slip friction clutch.
German Published Patent Application DE-A 39 09 892 discloses a two-mass flywheel having a primary mass, which is adapted to be secured to the crank-shaft of an internal combustion engine concentrically with the axis of rotation of the crankshaft, and a secondary mass supported on the primary mass for rotation relative to the primary mass about the axis of rotation. The secondary mass is coupled to the primary mass rotationally elastically by a torsional vibration damping device. A slip friction clutch is connected in series with a spring device of the damping device. The slip friction clutch has a center disk in the form of a cup spring that has two friction surface regions located at different effective diameters that are engaged by two side disks, which are affixed to each other. The central disk is coupled to the damping device. The side disks are connected to the secondary mass by an axially interposed coupling. Such a construction requires a relatively large amount of radial space, and hence this space cannot be used for other components, such as an additional spring device. Moreover, in certain operating states, the maximum load capacity of the center disk may be exceeded, since on the one hand its spring properties are highly dependent on the thickness of its material, and on the other hand the prerequisite for inducing torque on the part of a spring device is a certain minimum material thickness.